


The Wrong Ending

by themangoesgotme



Series: Mango Makes Angst [1]
Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Angst, Gun Violence, M/M, Murder-Suicide, Suicide, emma is henry's daughter you cannot take that from me, hope yall like your angst, infected!henry, infected!henry hidgens, mango writes, ted is a sweetheart when it comes to henry, tedgens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23441965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themangoesgotme/pseuds/themangoesgotme
Summary: Henry had been working so hard to make a cure, he hardly noticed that the blue shit he was handling had been slowly infecting him. When the infection peaks, they have no choice but to kill him, or risk being infected themselves. Ted, who has been lowkey dating the professor, is the one who gets to deal with it.[Show Stoppin Number never happened, but Tedgens did.]GUN TW, ANGST TW, NON-GRAPHIC MAIN CHARACTER DEATH TW, NON-GRAPHIC SUICIDE TW[by non-graphic, two people are killed by a gun, but there is no gore, and the deaths are not explicitly described]
Relationships: Henry Hidgens & Emma Perkins, Henry Hidgens & Ted, Henry Hidgens/Ted
Series: Mango Makes Angst [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686397
Comments: 1
Kudos: 47





	The Wrong Ending

**Author's Note:**

> GUN TW, ANGST TW, NON-GRAPHIC MAIN CHARACTER DEATH TW, NON-GRAPHIC SUICIDE TW  
> by non-graphic, two people are killed by a gun, but there is no gore, and the deaths are not explicitly described

This wasn't how it was supposed to end, Ted thought, putting his head in his hands.

He had left the fortress for maybe an hour, so that he could find some supplies for the dinner that Henry had wanted to cook. Ted wasn't a very emotional person, but knowing that only an hour ago, Henry had laughed so beautifully when he had pressed to stay for just a little longer before going to get supplies, and had sent him off with a kiss pressed to his cheek, promising to kiss him on the lips if he came back with the supplies made him want to cry.

"So that's it? He's just fucking-" Ted cut off, looking away from Paul, who was taller than Ted, but looked so much smaller in this moment, delivering the news to Ted that the one thing that had made him happy in years was ripped away from him. "He's just fucking done for?" 

"I-" Paul was at a loss for words. "I don't-"

Ted cut him off by turning away from him, marching towards the place Paul had said Henry was- a panic room with nothing in it, except for an infected Henry Hidgens. He hesitated when he reached the knob, only for the door to swing open from the inside, revealing Emma and an intoxicating song coming from behind her, before she stepped forward and closed the door behind her.

"He's gone, Ted." She said, looking him in the eyes.

Ted nodded, taking her seriously. He knew that she cared for Henry, just as much as he did, albeit in a different way. Emma was only Henry's student, but they cared for each other the way a parent and child would, which was something Ted had learned to respect. He also knew that it had taken Emma a bit to be okay with him and Henry being a- what even were they? They had kissed, and cuddled, and called each other pet names, but he came to the realization now that they had never specified if they were dating or simply fooling around.

Ted knew that Emma had doubted his feelings for Henry, especially when she found out that he had been fooling around with Charlotte- and even more so when she found out he had fooled around a little bit with her in the professor's mansion, just before her husband woke up and got her infected, and then tried to kill them all, until Henry came in with his shotgun and killed them both.

No matter that he had fooled around with Charlotte in the mansion, he couldn't deny that the professor with a shotgun in his hands, a cigarette in his mouth, and a steely look in his eye as he killed the people threatening what could possibly be the only people left in Hatchetfield who weren't infected was fucking hot. And while, yes, he was a horny bastard, who yes, wanted to make out with and have sex with Henry, he also felt softer towards the professor, especially after getting to know him.

Henry was undeniably attractive, but he was also a dork, and was so passionate about what he loved, that Ted couldn't help but fall for Henry in a way that surpassed his physical attraction. Ted had never felt that the love in romance movies was realistic- had never felt the urge to simply exist in the same space as someone else, or wipe the tears from someone's face, but for some reason, Henry had pulled that feeling forward.

Emma had taken a while to see that, but once she realized that Ted meant it when we said he wanted to be with the professor, not just as a one night stand, she had accepted it, as long as Henry was happy. And now she stood before Ted, with an infected Henry Hidgens behind her, locked in a room without anything else in it, and tears brimming in her eyes that she quickly blinked away.

"I'm sorry." Ted replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. Emma looked up, a bitter reply on the tip of her tongue, expecting him to be making fun of her, but it quickly faded in her throat, as she met his eyes once more, seeing the tear that had fallen onto his cheek.

She nodded, stepping aside and letting Ted's hand slide off her shoulder. "It broke my heart." Emma said, looking away from Ted and motioning to the room. "He's not him. But I still couldn't do it."

Emma pulled out a gun from her jacket, looking at it with distaste. "He deserves peace, and that fucking blue shit, it isn't peace. He just- He only wanted a cure, and what he got was infected." She breathed in shakily, trying to anchor herself. "I know it's a lot to ask- especially since- but he- I-"

Ted put a hand on the gun, making Emma look up, tears streaming down her face. He carefully took the gun from her, and stepped back. "I know, Emma. I-" He took a breath. "I'll take care of it, don't worry."

Emma took a step towards Ted, shaking her head. "It's harder than you think, Ted, Professor Hidgens isn't-"

Ted cut her off with a sad smile. "I know, Emma. If I-" He cut himself off with a shaky inhale, before finishing his sentence. "If I don't come back from the room, I did it. If I do, I didn't."

Emma's eyes widened, realizing what he meant. "Ted, he wouldn't-"

"He wouldn't want me to do that, I know. But it's the only way that it'll- he deserves to be with someone who loves him, and someone who he loved when he goes, and I can't-" Another tear fell down his face, alarming Emma even more. "I can't live without him, Emma. I know that that's stupid and idiotic but- Emma, he's all I have. I don't have a spouse, I don't have kids, I don't have any family, Henry's all I have. I can't- he's the only thing that's kept me going, Emma."

Emma didn't say anything, simply searching his eyes for sincerity, and finding nothing but. She nodded reluctantly, wiping her tears from her eyes. "I still hate you, Ted."

Ted laughed, the last time that he would, and said, "I hate you too, Emily."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck."

Ted nodded, and opened the door, stepping into the room.

As Ted stepped into the room, he was met by a beautiful baritone melody, weaving notes together in a language he had never learned. He looked around the room, before finding Henry sitting on the floor in a corner, back pressed against the wall.

He had his knee propped up, and his head tilted back so he could lean it against the wall. Henry's hair was mussed, the silver strands going every which way as he sang to the empty room. His eyes opened lazily, finding Ted standing by the door, a gun in hand.

Henry's singing faltered, before returning twice as strong as he gracefully stood. He strode over to Ted, voice smoothly softening as he put a hand on Ted's face, stroking his cheekbone and wiping away the remnants of tears while his other hand rested on Ted's hip.

"Hey, Henry." Ted said softly, leaving his hands where they were hanging uselessly at his sides.

Henry's face twisted in confusion, tilting slightly to the side, switching from the language Ted couldn't understand into English, but never faltering in his singing. "Why do you fear to touch me? Do you believe I'm not who you think you see? What did you expect to find here? A cure for your falling tears?"

Ted leaned his forehead against Henry's, trying his hardest to not give into his warm embrace, and fighting the urge to simply melt into Henry's hands as he was so used to doing. "You're not really Henry." he whispered.

Henry's grasp on his hip tightened for a minute, before relinquishing, and taking Ted's hand in his, pressing it to his beating heart, the way Ted did to Henry as they fell asleep, a reminder that he was still alive, now used against him. "It's still just me inside my head, the man who you trust to warm your bed. It's still my beating heart you feel, why won't you let me help you heal?"

Ted sobbed silently, no tears escaping, as he pressed his face into Henry's neck, ignoring that it wasn't Henry as he moved the hand with the gun to Henry's back and pulled him closer, letting himself pretend it was Henry holding him as he cried. Letting himself pretend it was Henry whose hand fell from his face and over his arm, pressing itself against his back just as firmly as Ted's had, holding him close and singing in that language that he didn't understand.

Ted let himself believe it was Henry holding him, just as he had held him in the kitchen just yesterday. He let himself pretend it was the Henry who had taught him to waltz to Beethoven as the pancakes cooked, expertly spinning him around with one hand as he flipped the pancakes with the other, before pulling Ted back to his warmth, pressing soft kisses to his temple and cheek, until Ted had enough and simply pressed a firm kiss to his lips, which had made Henry chuckle, before indulging Ted.

In this position, Ted could feel Henry's chest vibrate as he sang softly in that deep baritone of his, and could almost believe it was the Henry who had hummed while brushing through Ted's hair with his hand, who had nearly lulled Ted to sleep with the domesticity of it.

Ted realized that while he had felt it, and had even said it to Emma without realizing, he had never told Henry that he loved him. He couldn't pinpoint when exactly he had realized he loved Henry. Maybe it was when he was working so hard on a cure that Ted came to make sure he had at least a little bit to eat, and had to press kisses to Henry's cheek and lips to entice him to come upstairs and take a break, to take care of himself.

Maybe it was when he had put his head on Henry's lap while Henry was reading, as he had felt ignored and touch-starved while Henry was working, and Henry smiled, carding through Ted's hair as he finished up the chapter, before standing up, picking Ted up bridal style, and moving to the bedroom, where they had simply cuddled, Henry humming a simple tune that lulled Ted to sleep.

Maybe it was when he found Henry passed out in his lab, pencil still in hand, notes scribbled haphazardly on the notebook lying next to him, and had smiled fondly at the professor, before half-waking him up and guiding him to bed, having to help him into pajamas and into bed.

Maybe it was when that same instance occurred again but this time, after helping Henry into his bed, when he moved to go to the guest room he had designated his when they first arrived, Henry had groaned, reaching for Ted. Ted had simply assumed Henry needed some fuzzy socks or maybe a goodnight kiss, but instead, a sleepy Henry had asked Ted so sweetly if he would stay, and who was Ted to deny him that? It had been awkward at first, trying to figure out where he should lay, trying to respect whatever boundaries Henry might have had, but when he had laid down, Henry simply reached out, pulling Ted a little closer, slinging an arm over his waist and a leg over his legs, settling his face on Ted's chest.

Maybe it was when Henry had been nowhere to be found all day, and finally appeared when Ted had settled down in the living room, pressing himself up against Ted, resting his head on Ted's shoulder, and wrapping his arms around Ted's arm. Maybe it was when Ted absentmindedly pressed a kiss against Henry's temple, not even realizing he had done so, until Emma confronted him later about playing with the professor's feelings.

Whenever it was, Ted was sure of it now- he was entirely in love with Henry Hidgens and there was no way of escaping it. 

Ted breathed in, smelling nothing but Henry, and doubting himself for a minute, before shaking off the doubt and stepping back, letting Henry's hands fall from him, and ignoring the confusion that twisted its way onto Henry's face.

Ted pulled the gun up, examining it, pulling out the magazine and checking there were bullets in it. He nodded, seeing the five bullets left, forgetting for a moment that Henry was in the room until the singing that had filled the air in that foreign language while Ted wasn't talking faltered. Ted glanced up, seeing Henry staring silently at the gun in his hands.

Henry took a deep breath before singing, "Did you come here with the intent of killing me? Is my brain on the walls what you wish to see? Put a gun to my head and destroy all our dreams? Destroying the world from behind the scenes?" He stepped towards Ted, putting a hand on the one holding the gun, raising it up to his forehead and pressing his head to the barrel. He kneeled, lowering Ted's arm as he knelt, keeping the muzzle of the gun pressed to his forehead. He took another breath, shakily this time, before singing again, softly, almost as if he was conceding. "If it will make you happy, my prince, I'd be glad to grant your wish. You made me happier than I'd been in many years, so I'd do anything to stop your falling tears."

Ted's hold wavered on the gun, seeing it pressed against Henry's head with such peace in his eyes, before Henry closed them, as if he had given up, and hearing that he would die if it would make Ted happy didn't help the situation. He steeled himself, finger hovering over the trigger, breathing in sharply, and closing his eyes, telling his body to pull the trigger.

No gunshot was heard. Ted opened his eyes, expecting some blue shit to be jamming the gun, but there was nothing there, except for the gun pressed to Henry's head. Ted couldn't pull the trigger.

He choked on air, making Henry's blue eyes open, looking up at Ted concerned. Ted nearly cried again, seeing Henry's hand move from the bottom of the barrel to the grip, resting lightly on Ted's hand. "It's alright, love, not to worry about this old man, simply pull the trigger, I know that you can." He sang softly, lightly running his thumb along Ted's hand.

Ted choked again, holding back a sob, before deciding fuck it all, and throwing the gun to the other side of the room, kneeling down to meet Henry, pressing his hands to Henry's face and pushing their lips together. Henry broke apart, gasping in a breath of air, before pressing closer to Ted, his hands wrapping around Ted's waist as they kissed. Ted moved his hands from Henry's face to his neck, pulling him closer, before pushing his hands into Henry's hair, tugging slightly at the strands, like he used to.

Henry pulled away, moving his hands from Ted's waist to his chest, gently pushing him away. He put one of his hands on Ted's cheek, rubbing softly at his cheekbone, singing gently to his lover, "I'm not the man you loved so dearly, though I remember a time I loved you sincerely. It's not me in those memories you believe in, it's not me whose heart you worked so hard to win. Though I recall a time when I loved you, it's been wiped away by this infectious blue. Though the love for you faintly remains, which is why I implore you to blow out my brains."

Ted moved his hands from Henry's hair, pressing one to Henry's face, the other moved to rest on top of the hand that remained on his face. Ted rested his forehead against Henry's, trying desperately not to cry. "I know, King. I know." Ted looked into Henry's eyes, the blue now devastatingly depressing taking his state into consideration.

Henry smiled sadly, pressing his lips gently against Ted's, only brushing them together lightly. He was only partially infected, still regaining the memories and control, as he had gotten infected through working with the blue shit for a cure, instead of getting killed and coming back as an infected.

Ted intertwined his fingers with Henry's tears starting to stream down his face. "King, I-"

Henry hushed him softly, quieting him with another quick kiss, before squeezing Ted's hand and standing up. He made his way to where the gun had fallen, crouching down and picking it up, and then returning to Ted's side. "I know you love me, my prince, but it's time for my leave. Please, grant my last request, give me this reprieve."

Ted cried harder at Henry's singing, shaking his head. "I can't, King, I can't kill you-"

Henry simply kneeled once more, taking Ted's hand and pressing the gun into it. He guided the barrel to his head, putting his finger over Ted's on the trigger. Henry sang softly, "It's the end of my show, time for the curtain to fall, remember that I love you so, when your emotions start to brawl. I adore you, my prince, but it's the end of the line. I'm simply glad we had the chance to exist in the same time."

Ted's tears continued, and Henry smiled softly at him. "King, please, I love you-"

Henry pushed his and Ted's fingers on the trigger, and his grip became loose. The only thing that Ted could hear was the thud of Henry's body on the floor and someone screaming Henry's name. He grasped Henry's body in his arms and pulled him close, dropping the gun to the floor in favor of holding Henry. Ted gasped for air, tears flowing freely, as he rocked back and forth, desperately calling Henry's name.

"Please, King, you can't- you aren't dead. You're too smart for that. You've found a way to cheat death, right? You're coming back, yeah? Henry? Henry?" Ted sobbed into Henry's chest, grasping desperately at his jacket. "Henry, please! Please- I can't- I can't do this without you- Sunshine- Love- King- please!"

Ted screamed once more, hoarse and desperate, tilting his head up to the sky. "Fuck you! Fuck you! You shouldn't have let him die! It should have been me! It should have been me! I'm the fucking useless one! I've got no one! No family! No friends! I'm a fucking alcoholic! And you- you killed him- he should have lived! He should have performed his show on Broadway! He was gonna be on Broadway- and you- you fucking ruined it! Fuck you!"

He sobbed again, his head hitting Henry's chest as he kneeled beside him, cradling him in his arms. "Henry-"

Ted cut himself off, unable to even form a sentence, only uselessly muttering "I love you"s and "I'm sorry"s into Henry's chest, trying desperately to feel the beat of his heart, which once beat so steadily and strongly. The heartbeat that had raced under his palms when they had kissed the first time, so strong and firm, now uselessly absent.

He gently laid Henry down, letting him rest on the floor, before crawling to the gun and holding it up to his chin. "I'll see you in the next life, King."

A gunshot echoed in the empty room.


End file.
